GAMEDAY CENTRAL
No. 13/RV IUP Crimson Hawks (17-2, 12-2 PSAC)
at Slippery Rock "The Rock" (10-10, 8-7 PSAC)
Wednesday, January 31, 2018 | 5:30 p.m.
Slippery Rock, Pa. | Morrow Field House

Full Game Notes (PDF)
Stats: RockAthletics.com | Sidearm Stats
Radio: WQMU 92.5 FM | u92radio.com | U92.5 Sports App (Android & iPhone)
Video: RockAthletics.com | Rock All-Access
Social Media: Twitter | @IUP_WBB

COMING UP
Saturday, Feb. 3 vs. Gannon (5:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, Feb. 7 vs. Pitt-Johnstown (5:30 p.m.)

THE GAME AT A GLANCE
Facing their second loss in the last four games, IUP women's basketball (17-2, 12-2 PSAC) travels to face Slippery Rock (10-10, 8-7 PSAC) Wednesday evening. Tipoff at the Morrow Field House is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The Crimson Hawks will be looking to rebound from last weekend's 66-61 loss at Mercyhurst against a second straight road opponent looking for revenge. The Rock has lost three straight, scoring a season-low in a 61-41 to 14th-ranked California on Saturday.  

TIPOFF NOTES
>> IUP took care of Slippery Rock in the first meeting, a 76-50 victory in Indiana on Jan. 8; The Crimson Hawks outscored SRU 24-5 in the second quarter and Sr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) had a game-high 22 points
>> The Crimson Hawks are now 6-2 on the road this year compared to 11-0 at home; Slippery Rock is just 5-4 on its home court
>> After the Crimson Hawks loss at California, they rebounded with a 45-point victory over Clarion
>> IUP's 17-2 start is tied for the second best start in program history; IUP started the 2007-08 and 2014-15 seasons with 18 wins in the first 19 games
>> IUP's 15-game win streak this season is the second longest in program history (16, 1999-00)

SERIES WITH SLIPPERY ROCK
>> Including the 76-50 win on Jan. 8, the Crimson Hawks have won 22 straight games in the series dating back to the 2006-07 season; IUP leads the all-time series 50-36
>> IUP has won 10 straight in Slippery Rock, outscoring The Rock by an average of 19 points per game
>> IUP HC Tom McConnell is 9-0 all-time against Slippery Rock

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE THE ROCK
>> Slippery Rock is 10-10 overall and currently in sixth place in the PSAC West with an 8-7 league record
>> The Rock's current three-game losing streak includes losses to No. 17 Edinboro (74-52) and Gannon (70-68) at home, and at No. 14 Cal (61-41) at home; Their average scoring margin in those games is -14.7
>> Prior to their three straight losses, The Rock won three straight by an average of 14.7 points per game
>> Slippery Rock is 4-5 and averaging 61.0 points since losing leading scorer Jr. G Ciara Patterson (15.8 PPG); The Rock averaged 74.0 points with Patterson in the lineup
>> Soph. G Brooke Hinderliter is The Rock's top scoring threat at 14.3 PPG, including 29 points at West Liberty

CRIMSON HAWKS ACHIEVED TOP RANKINGS IN PROGRAM HISTORY
>> The Crimson Hawks have been ranked in both national polls all season, currently sitting at No. 13 in the WBCA Coaches' Top 25 and receiving votes in the D2SIDA Media Top 25
>> They reached as high as No. 2 in both polls, the highest ever ranking for the program
>> IUP had been ranked No. 3 by the WBCA and No. 2 by D2SIDA for three straight poll releases

TOM MCCONNELL REACHES MILESTONE
>> HC Tom McConnell won his 100th game on the IUP bench with the 89-38 win over Mercyhurst (Jan. 6)
>> McConnell's .766 win percentage is second all-time among IUP coaches, and his 105 victories are fourth: 1. Jan Kiger (141), 2. Sandy Thomas (122), 3. Jeff Dow (108)
>> McConnell is averaging 22 wins per season, including a career-best 25 during the 2014-15 season
>> His recent 15-game win streak is the longest of his career
>> He's also nearing the career 200-win milestone with a 190-137 (.581) record in 12 coaching seasons; McConnell went 85-105 in seven seasons (1992-99) as the St. Francis head men's basketball coach

IUP HAVING ONE OF ITS TOP SCORING SEASONS IN RECENT HISTORY
>> The Crimson Hawks are third in the PSAC and 26th in Division II averaging 77.5 points per game
>> The 77.5 average is the most since setting the program record of 79.4 during the 1995-96 season
>> IUP has scored 80-plus points seven times and has defeated teams by at least 20 points on 11 occasions
>> The Crimson Hawks set a school record with 125 points in its Education Day victory over Geneva (Dec. 18)

CRIMSON HAWKS ARE THE BEST SHOOTING TEAM IN THE PSAC
>> IUP leads the PSAC with a 47.8 FG% (558-1,168) and 36.7 3FG% (134-356) 
>> Those numbers rank third (FG%) and ninth (3FG%) in Division II 
>> They have made at least 10 3-pointers six times this year, including 11 vs. Lock Haven and Mercyhurst
>> Sr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) leads the PSAC and ranks 13th in Division II with a 44.9 3FG% (48-107)
>> Led by Smith, four players have at least 19 made 3-pointers this year

SMITH PUTTING TOGETHER A CAREER SCORING YEAR
>> Sr. F Megan Smith (Blain, Pa./West Perry) is having a career year, leading IUP and ranking 7th in the PSAC with 16.9 PPG
>> She has six 20-point performances and has reached double-figures 15 times in 19 games
>> Smith scored a career-high 34 points in a 72-53 win at Pitt-Johnstown (Jan. 3); She went 12-18 from the field, 6-9 from 3-point range, and 4-6 from the foul line
>> Smith hit the 1,000-point milestone at Mansfield; Her 1,180 career points is currently 17th all-time in program history - 16th Jodi Frederick (1191), 15th Beth McDonald (1202), 14th Margo Hinton (1205)
>> Her career 3-point percentage of 41.7 is currently the best in program history, and her 128 career treys is tied for 8th - 7th Marina Wareham (131), 6th Eryn Withers (Burtonsville, Md./Springbrook) (141), 5th Lindsay Stamp (169)

WOLOSIK ONE OF TOP DISHERS IN THE PSAC
>> R-Jr. G Lauren Wolosik (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic) leads the PSAC and ranks 30th in Division II with 5.2 assists per game
>> She set a career-high with 10 assists in a 79-61 win over East Stroudsburg (Jan. 10)
>> She is tied with Sr. G Halle Denman (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) for second in the PSAC with a 2.1 assist-turnover ratio

APPLEBY TURNING UP THE OFFENSE
>> Jr. G Carolyn Appleby (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) has scored in double-figures in the last six games, averaging 17.2 PPG with a pair of 20-point games during that run
>> Appleby ranks 11th in the PSAC with a 44.0 FG%; She's made 50.0 percent during her six-game stretch